


When Their Eyes Met

by Jarino



Series: Rima Lavellan, Herald of Andraste [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, First Impressions, First Meetings, Fluff, Love at First Sight, Mages and Templars, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 04:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6269683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarino/pseuds/Jarino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rima Lavellan, “Herald of Andraste” and Cullen Rutherford, Commander of the Inquisition meet for the very first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Their Eyes Met

“Are you certain we can trust her? How much do we even know about this ‘Herald of Andraste’?” Cullen stood at the makeshift war table amongst the two other advisors as they prepared to meet the woman in question.

“I’ll admit she was a bit…reluctant to help us in the beginning, but from what I have seen, Commander, she will be a worthwhile ally…assuming we can gain her trust.” Leliana pursed her lips slightly in contemplation. “As for what we know…it is scarce, if I am to be frank. She is an elven mage who goes by the name ‘Rima’, but aside from that, she hasn’t conceded to tell us anything. If she were to give us her clan name, I might be able to scrounge up more information, but even then, I doubt we would come up with anything of value.”

Cullen gave an annoyed huff, shaking his head ever so slightly as he considered her words.

“Come, now…” Josephine urged. “We should be focusing more on making her feel _welcome_ ; not searching for evidence to blackmail her with…”

Opening his mouth in retaliation, Cullen prepared an angry retort, but was stopped in his tracks when the doors to the room swung open. He turned his head sharply to meet the intruders, and was greeted with the familiar face of the Seeker. And…standing next to her was…

All the air in his throat left him in a sharp burst as he took her in. She was… _Maker._ How did someone even find the words to describe someone like her? Her small, lithe form gave off the impression of innocence, coupled with her wide, curious eyes that scanned the room. Leliana had told him she was young, but…he hadn’t expected her to be _this_ young…She must have been fresh out of adolescence.

Her sharp green eyes landed on him then, and he tensed up, holding his breath and gripping the pommel of his sword unconsciously. While he had first caught an impression of meekness in her gaze, now that he was under her scrutiny, he was able to see past that. There was a sense of youthful intrigue, certainly, but beyond that, her stance was very guarded, and as her eyes peered into his, he could clearly see the strength and determination that lay in this girl. To say that she was innocent wouldn’t be incorrect, per se…but it was obvious there was so much more to her than her initial appearance let on.

“…leader of the Inquisition’s forces.” Cassandra turned her pointed gaze to him and he quickly realized she was referring to him.

“Such as they are…” he said with a small sigh, shaking his head as he attempted to recollect himself. “We lost many soldiers in the valley, and I fear many more before this is through.”

Not missing a beat, Cassandra continued with her introductions. “This is Lady Josephine Montiliyet, our ambassador and chief diplomat.”

“Andaran Atish’an,” the ambassador chimed with a friendly smile.

Rima’s eyebrows immediately shot up to the ceiling, the shock clear in her voice. “You speak elven?”

“You just heard the entirety of it, I’m afraid,” Josephine admitted humbly.

Even so, Rima was clearly impressed that she’d gone out of her way to meet her halfway. Cullen silently berated himself for his behavior earlier.

Leliana was next in the line of introductions, and with her attention gone from him, Cullen took the opportunity to gaze at the Herald once more. Her dark, wavy locks hung heavily against her neck, favoring her right side, but still framing her face beautifully. Long, intricate tattoos wove their way across her forehead and cheeks, and though he’d never been one to care for the Dalish before, he couldn’t help but wonder what her markings represented. His gaze came to rest upon her eyes again, and he felt his throat run dry. Maker, those eyes…They were almost unworldly in their color. The stark shades of pale green and blue pooled together, resulting in something so very like the Breach; hauntingly beautiful, but could easily pull you in and trap you were you not careful.

He jerked a bit when he realized everyone was conversing around him. Straightening himself, he attempted to insert himself back into the discussion.

“Which means we must approach the rebel mages for help,” Leliana said with a stern face.

“And I still disagree,” Cullen countered, his voice bitter. “The Templars could serve just as well.”

Cassandra gave a low sigh, but remained relatively calm as she replied, “We need power, Commander. Enough magic poured into that mark-”

“Might destroy us all,” he interrupted, his patience growing thin. “The Templars could suppress the Breach, weaken it so-”

“Pure speculation.”

Cullen reflexively grabbed the hilt of his sword in an attempt to calm his growing frustrations. Didn’t they realize how great of a risk the mages posed? “ _I_ was a Templar,” he bit out. “I know what they’re capable of.”

The Herald stiffened at his words, and to her credit, the action was small enough that it might have gone unnoticed, but he caught it nonetheless. He frowned slightly as his eyes fixed on her. Although she was a Dalish mage, not hailing from any Circle, she certainly appeared uncomfortable upon learning this new bit of information. He gave a small, internal sigh. It seemed that most mages, regardless of origin, were fated to dislike him based on principle…Not that he could blame them, really, but still…

The other advisors seemed to gloss over her reaction, though he noted Leliana tilting her head slightly in consideration as she spoke, her sharp, calculating eyes ever watchful. They continued their deliberation about the Breach, the denunciation of the Chantry, as well as opportunities to find allies, but he couldn’t help but notice the Herald seemed a little distant throughout it all. More than anything, she appeared shocked at the revelation she was being referred to as the “Herald of Andraste”. He’d asked her in jest what she thought of the title, and though there was clear discomfort on her face, she did grant him and unsure smile, admitting she didn’t know what to make of it.

When the meeting finally concluded, she departed rather quickly, as though she couldn’t stand to be in the room with them any longer. He considered going after her and trying to make amends for what he might have said to offend her, but his nerves got the better of him. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, he decided to admit defeat…for the moment, at least.

\-----

Despite its name, Haven was not exactly making itself out to be a home for Rima. It was full of strange faces; some of whom looked at her out of the corner of their eyes with distrust and disdain, while others practically fell to her feet in worship. It was all very unnerving and she didn’t know what to make of it all.

At the very least, amongst all the chaos, she’d managed to find a few familiar faces to take refuge with. Although Solas wasn’t exactly keen on the Dalish, he was still one of the few elves in the camp; and the only one who would talk to her for that matter. The rest were servants or recruits who were too intimidated to even glance her way, much less speak with her. Despite being separated from her clan, she at least managed to find a moment of respite in chatting with the hermit elf; his intellect and riddled manner of speech reminded her a great deal of Keeper Deshanna.

Varric, the dwarf, had also become a surprising source of companionship. He was humorous and easygoing; a breath of fresh air amidst all the political chaos that surrounded her. He was also one of the few people who seemed concerned about her well-being while the shemlen were eagerly dragging her about for whatever purpose suited them.

Speaking of shemlen, Cassandra was actually beginning to grow on her…in a manner of speaking. At the very least, she was no longer hostile towards Rima, which was appreciated, but she also seemed to be making an effort to reach out to her. Their conversations now were much more easygoing than their first meeting had been, which was a start, if anything. When the Seeker requested she meet her in the Chantry, she came readily enough, and felt less jumpy as the two walked in companionable silence down the hall.

When the opened the double doors at the end of the chamber, she was met with three more faces. Leliana, at least, she knew already, but the other two were completely unknown. From the way they all carried themselves in this secretive room at the back of the Chantry, they must be the ones in charge.

Cassandra gestured to the man first, and she looked up to meet his gaze. She eyed him warily from the other side of the table, regarding him with caution. She’d learned rather quickly that humans tended to be larger than elves, but his tall stature still gave her a moment of pause. His deep golden eyes bore into her with an intensity she’d never seen before, and though she was tempted to turn away, she was determined to hold her ground. She would not let them see her fear.

When the Seeker moved on to the Antivan woman, Rima was grateful to direct her gaze elsewhere. She wasn’t sure why, but the Commander made her feel…uneasy. She was, however, delightfully surprised to hear an elven greeting from the woman before her. Despite it being the only phrase she knew, Rima was stunned that the ambassador had gone out of her way to make her feel welcome here. Even if the gesture was just for show, it was appreciated nonetheless.

Leliana’s introduction was perhaps to be expected, if not a little comical with Cassandra’s bluntness with her title. She met each of them with a level gaze, giving a formal, if somewhat stilted greeting in return.

With introductions out of the way, the topic of the Breach came to the forefront of the conversation, with the advisors arguing over who would make for better allies. From the frustration they showed, it appeared they’d had this confrontation several times in the past. She did her best to follow along, though some of the words blurred together at times and she began to tune it out.

She was pulled from her daze, however, by a small string of words, uttered much more softly than the weight of which they carried.

“ _I_ was a Templar. I know what they’re capable of.”

She froze where she stood, her heart rate picking up significantly. A Templar. He was a Templar. Was that why she’d been so wary of him earlier?

As First of her clan, she’d been warned numerous times about the danger Templars posed to rogue mages such as herself. Whenever they came poking too close to the clan, the elders would hide her away in one of the aravels or Keeper Deshanna would pull her deeper into the forest for “private training lessons”. As such, she’d never encountered them before, but enough knowledge had been instilled in her that she’d grown to be apprehensive of them.

Slowly, she dared to glance up at the man before her. Though his large stance was a bit intimidating and the way he gripped his sword sent a wave of panic through her, when she looked more closely…he was less frightening than she’d initially believed him to be. When his gaze was not boring into her, his eyes were much more calm and gentle, and he displayed little habits and quirks that she’d seen in other members of her clan. For all she’d been taught to expect of his kind, he appeared…like a normal person.

And she wasn’t sure what to make of this information. She wasn’t sure of anything, really. These humans were doing everything they could to earn her trust, but for what purpose? If she opened up to them and let them in, would their kind facades shatter? Would they take the opportunity to chain her like a prisoner once more, or would they continue to treat her with care and respect? Their natures were unknown to her, and despite who they might have been in the past, _that_ was why she continued to be distrustful and guarded.

As soon as they released her, she fled, eager to be free of that confining room. Her head spun as she tried to make sense of it all. Their behavior to her, her title of supposed divinity (to a shemlen prophet, no less), were too much to try and take in at once. She needed a moment to breathe.

She was _not_ going to think about that former Templar. And she most certainly was _not_ thinking about his warm, honey eyes.


End file.
